Objectives set from countywide visioning process in Lenawee

ADRIAN — Goals have been set in seven areas identified through a countywide visioning process that began early this year.

The goals were borne out of six forums in several Lenawee County communities as well as with college and high school students, Joe Williams, chairman of One Lenawee’s visioning committee, told the audience of government officials at Thursday’s legislative dinner at the Lenawee County Human Services Building. The seven priority areas are placemaking, communication and collaboration, workforce development, promotion and marketing, lifestyle choices, infrastructure, and entrepreneurship. Committees have been meeting in each of those subject areas to set goals.

The dinner was hosted by Lenawee County government. Williams opened the dinner with a presentation of the goals developed through the visioning process, then county administrator Martin Marshall and commission chairman David Stimpson, R-Tecumseh, moderated a discussion about how the Lenawee County community can move forward to address the goals.

“We want Lenawee County — the government team and the citizens — to seem as one unit,” Williams said.

Among the goals are making Lenawee County a destination area for the arts, developing nonmotorized travel, creating a regional recreation authority to coordinate recreation projects and secure funding, using multiple media sources to disseminate community information, highlight the kinds of jobs in the community and what they pay to give students an idea of what careers to pursue, coordinate road work and other infrastructure projects to make them more cost effective, and support entrepreneurs by helping them develop their business ideas.

“These are the things the people of Lenawee County said they wanted to see action on,” Williams said.

The committees were tasked with developing up to three goals, Williams said. Having fewer goals would keep work manageable and allow for new goals to be developed over time.

“We really want people to work on one, two or three areas,” he said. “This should never die. It should be a living document.”

One subject not specifically mentioned in the goals is retaining younger people after they graduate from high school or college. Williams said that was intentional.

“We believe if we focus on these seven priority areas that (young people wanting to live in Lenawee County) should be a result,” he said.

The priority area committees will be held accountable for making progress on their goals, Williams said. The goals can change, as the committees should be looking three to five years into the future to determine new needs. He said there would be healthy debate on what goals to pursue.

“At the end of the day, the only question we should have is what’s best for Lenawee County,” he said.

A challenge will be including people who feel disconnected, said DeAngelo Boone, who is working on Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County’s neighborhood revitalization efforts on Adrian’s east side.

“They live in Lenawee County, but they don’t feel a part of Lenawee County,” he said.

Marshall said that is a communications issue, and that those in government are aware that some people don’t know who to contact about different aspects of local government.

Some attendees suggested groups the priority area committees can work with.

Stacy Gamel, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Lenawee, suggested looking to her organization for programs that help youth with career planning, cooking and nutrition plans, arts, and drug abstinence. She said the club has been successful in creating a sense of community among its members.

“Over half of (the club’s members) are telling us they feel safer at the club than anywhere else,” she said.

Rome Township Supervisor Al Boggs also encouraged the county to take an interest in the Boys & Girls Club, based on the positive affect it has had on a boy he knows.

Dave Maxwell, a One Lenawee steering committee member, noted that two groups, the Lenawee Health Network and the Lenawee County Cradle to Career partnership have a head start in working on matters of education and health, including addressing opioid abuse.

“Maybe we can catch up with them,” Maxwell said.

Heidi Cannon, a probation officer in Lenawee County District Court, said the courts and Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition should be involved in matters involving drugs.

Lenawee County Health Officer Martha Hall said there is an opioids task force in the visioning group’s lifestyles committee that will be inviting others to join.

Lenawee County Circuit Judge Anna Marie Anzalone asked about improving rural internet access. She said where she lives the only high-speed internet access is through cellphones.

State Rep. Bronna Kahle, R-Adrian, responded that rural internet access is an issue across Michigan. She said there are bills in the Legislature to address it. She said legislators want to provide better access in a way that respects road and drain commissions’ oversight of public rights of way and is cost effective.